This very attractive sporting rifle has been identified as having belonged to Takht Singh (1819-1873), Regent (1839-1841) and Maharaja of Ahmednagar (1841-1843) and Maharaja of Jodhpur (1843-1873). He was the final Maharaja of Ahmednagar where he was born and was loyal to the British through the famous Indian Mutiny of 1857. He had at least thirty wives and many children. There is artwork of him hunting tigers while mounted on elephants, and other English firearms including sporting rifles known to have been owned by him had gold washed locks and furniture. The oak takedown case has a Joseph Lang trade label inside the lid with handwritten markings that appear to include Hindu-Arabic numerals among the markings as well as an unattached modern label stating "The Maharajah of Jodhpur/Raja Taket Singh reigned/from 1843-1873./This gun is No. 424 in/The Jodhpur Inventory." The rifle has two-groove rifling for use with 16-bore belted balls, a dovetailed blade front sight, three-leaf rear sight with platinum sight lines graduated for 100, 150, and 200 yards; "J. LANG, HAYMARKET, LONDON" signed on top of the breech section, London proofs along with "VP" and "J-L 1522" marked on the bottom, a flat gold washed lock signed "J. LANG" near the front with an engraved reposed stag scene as well as scroll and border engraving, adjustable single set trigger, gold washed furniture with a mix of scroll and floral engraving along with border designs, a tiger scene on the trigger guard bow, cat head on the finial (possibly one of the Indian leopard species), stag and a platinum band and plug on the breech, a reposed lion and scroll patterns on the buttplate tang, a horn forend tip, checkered wrist, and nice figure on the varnished half-stock. The case contains a Sykes patent powder flask, belted ball mold, belted balls, oiler, container of patches, cap tin, mainspring vice, cleaning rod attachments, starter/mallet, gold washed screwdriver with ebony handle, patch cutter, and some tow.

Very good with 90% plus of a professionally refinished dark brown finish on the barrel along with distinct twist patterns, mostly bright furniture with patches of original gold wash in the protected areas and recesses, distinct markings and engraving, and minor overall wear. The stock is also very good and has a glossy coat of refreshed varnish, crisp checkering, a few small chips/slivers absent from the edges, very nice figure on the butt, a thin stabilized crack extending from the ramrod entry pipe, and minor overall wear. Mechanically excellent. The case and accessories and are generally fine with mild to moderate age and storage related wear. This is definitely a rifle fit for Indian royalty and hunting the various game of the Indian subcontinent. Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection.